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Prom

In the United States, a prom, short for promenade, is a formal dance held at the end of the years of high school and college, called junior prom and senior prom respectively. In British English such an event would be called a ball, although in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand it is also often called a formal. In Australian schools the terms used are either formal or sometimes as Leaver's Dinner, usually so when the night includes a meal. In Ireland it is known as a debs (an abbreviation of debutante ball). In the U.S. a "formal" is typically a similar dance that is held by a fraternity or sorority affiliated with a certain college or university. In Australia, the term "prom" has also come into sparse usage and in Britain it is becoming widespread, because of US influence. The name is derived from the late ninteenth century practice of a Promenade ball. The end of year tradition stemmed from the Graduation Ball tradition.

Prom King and Queen

A Prom Queen is a woman who is elected to be, as the name suggests, queen of the prom. She becomes Prom Queen by her fellow students casting votes and electing their queen. Although the Prom Queen is usually the most popular girl, any student from class is eligible to be voted.

The Prom Queen is partnered with a Prom King who is elected similarly. They both have a Prom King and Queen dance to celebrate their election.

In recent years, many schools have done away with the crowning of King and Queen (e.g. most school districts in Montgomery County, PA). Thus, more emphasis is placed on the Homecoming King and Queen. In addition, there has been cases where prom has been cancelled due to illness of the Homecoming Queen. In these particular cases, a replacement Homecoming Queen is selected from the pool of chaperones. Thus, the Homecoming Queen is often an elderly citizen.

However, some schools find the institution of Prom King and Queen to be outdated and unnecessary, and have done away with both Prom court and Homecoming court altogether. They still succeed in providing a genuine and legitimate prom experience for the students. This experience has proven that indeed, Prom and Homecoming courts are not necessary to ensure the quality and legitimacy of the respective school dances.